by Michael Symons, Asbury Park (N.J.) Press

by Michael Symons, Asbury Park (N.J.) Press

WAYNE, N.J. -- With exchanges that were often sharp - but only occasionally personal - Gov. Chris Christie and state Sen. Barbara Buono met in a wide-ranging debate Tuesday that seemed unlikely to change the trajectory of the race for New Jersey governor.

Speeding through two dozen questions in less than a hour, Republican Christie and Democrat Buono drew contrasts on most issues during their first of two scheduled debates. Neither appeared to stumble during the exchange, even with the rapid-fire questions posed by the panel.

But the debate didn't have the game-changing moment that most analysts agreed Buono needed to shake Christie's lead.

Most of the major issues facing state government were explored, including property taxes, whether to raise the minimum wage and rebuilding progress after Superstorm Sandy.

Asked to suggest two ideas for how the state can fund essential services without relying so much on property taxes, Christie returned to two proposals that have been stalled in the Legislature - revamping civil service rules, which he says would promote consolidation and shared services, and ending payouts for unused sick time.

Buono said Christie promised as a candidate in 2009 that he wouldn't cut property-tax relief but did, resulting in an average increase in property taxes of 20 percent in the first three years of his term. She said taxes should be raised on households with income over $1 million.

"That's a major difference between this governor and myself. I believe that millionaires should pay their fair share and fund middle-class property-tax relief. He doesn't," Buono said. "I will never balance my budget on the backs on the middle class and the working poor, as this governor has done."

"I know Sen. Buono would never balance her budget that way. I had to balance her budget when I came in in 2010," Christie said, referring to the $2.2 billion midyear deficit in the fiscal 2010 budget, adopted when Buono led the Senate budget committee. "Believe me, everybody, if you give her the opportunity to have this position, here's what will happen: Taxes will increase again and again and again and again."

Buono said Christie looks back to the administration of Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine whenever he needs to shift blame for the state ranking 44th in job creation since he took office.

"Governor, you have to man up. You've been in office for four years. It's time to own your record and defend your record," Buono said.

"The New Jersey comeback has begun," Christie said. "And the fact is that it's not over. It's not over, and it's going to continue to get better if we continue to stay the course."

The debate, which aired on CBS stations in New York and Philadelphia and was sponsored in part by Gannett New Jersey newspapers, included a now-standard question to Christie about whether he plans to run for president. He said nobody expects decisions now about what a person will do in three years.

"People should vote for me if what they like is what's happened for the last four years and if they believe this type of leadership will continue in the next four. And I believe it will," Christie said.

Buono argued that Christie's vetoes of gun bills, funding for Planned Parenthood and allowing gay couples marry in New Jersey were based on his desire to cater to national Republicans.

"You are compromising and sacrificing the dignity of our gay brothers and sisters by vetoing marriage equality because you know that would kill you in a Republican primary," Buono said.

The candidates also addressed Christie's call for a November referendum on whether gay marriage should be legal.

"I trust the people of New Jersey to make this judgment. I don't trust 121 politicians with political agendas," Christie said.

"My daughter, who is openly gay, is not a political agenda," Buono said.

The candidates also disagreed on a question that is on this year's ballot - whether to amend the state constitution to increase the minimum wage and require annual inflation increases.

"We live in one of the highest cost-of-living states in the nation. This is a starvation wage," said Buono, who said Christie vetoed the minimum wage because he favors the wealthy.

Christie said he supports an increase of the minimum wage phased in over three years but not the inflation increases. He said the National Federation of Independent Business says that New Jersey could lose 30,000 jobs if the constitutional amendment is approved.

Even when asked to say something nice about their opponents, Buono got in a dig .

"Well, he's good on late-night TV, he's not just so good in New Jersey," she said.

"She's obviously a good and caring mother and someone who cares deeply about public service in this state because she's dedicated a lot of her life to it. And while we have policy disagreements, I would never denigrate her service," Christie said.

"If he didn't denigrate my public service tonight, I sure don't want to see when he does," Buono said.